Together with our cooperation partners we offer a comprehensive service for the development, introduction and assistance for plastic recycling projects.

For polymer producers, recycling goes in line with shrinking sales and energy recovery (incineration) is favored, and if this is also considered for national recycling quotas, the status quo can be maintained.

This is why generally plastic processors (own plastic waste) and recycling companies (mechanical processes with limitations) are interested in the CreaSolv® Process.OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturer) also search for solutions, how to separate post-consumer plastic waste from toxic impurities, because mechanical techniques fail and only the incineration is left or the waste ends up illegally in developing countries. All interested parties have in common that chemical processing technology does normally not belong to their core competencies or equipment.

Because the entry barrier is therefore high for such interested companies the available support offering covers the complete range from laboratory to the final production process and can be requested according to individual customer needs.

In 2002 the CreaCycle GmbH was founded as Start-up and offers special CreaSolv® Formulations for dissolving and recycling of plastics, designed for the CreaSolv® Process. This technique is based on “selective extraction” and was developed in cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging (IVV) in Freising, Germany1).

The selective extraction is a commonly known chemical purification process and the employment for plastic recycling is based on the knowledge that different solvents like tetrahydrofurane (THF), xylene, methylethylketone (MEK) or dichloromethane (DCM) can dissolve certain polymers2). Other typical candidates are cyclohexane, cyclohexanone, acetone and limonene.The Vinyloop®-Process is probably the best known example for an industrial plant to dissolve PVC in MEK for recycling purposes. It is in operation since 2002 with an annual capacity of 10.000 tonnes3). The Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)11) from 2013 proves that recycling reduces the global warming potential by 40% and primary energy demand by 47% in comparison to new production12,13) and a Critical Review by DEKRA confirms conformity with ISO standards. In June 2018 production was closed down and a safe closure of the plant was initiated. Reasons are actual REACH classification of the PVC plasticizer di-ethyl hexal phthalate (DEHP), that cannot be separated by this technology14).

Because the typical solvents for the selective extraction carry a high hazard potential, CreaCycle specialized in the application of solvents with the lowest possible risk potential for the users and the environment, in order to enable a safe circular economy.For an investor this means cost savings in the plant equipment. Another important aspect is the commercial availability of CreaSolv® ingredients, because the focus lays on the commercial implementation and not on the scientific proof.

The Fraunhofer Institut IVV is specialized in process development for the patented CreaSolv® Process, a solvent-based recycling process.Where other common separation technologies fail are the challenges for this technique:

The EPC Group offers comprehensive competency in chemical plant engineering (polymerization), that reaches from conceptual engineering, planning and project execution to commissioning and final plant operation.

This makes them an ideal partner when moving the CreaSolv® Process from pilot to production scale and they are a cooperation partner of CreaCycle since 2002.